Wall Street Journal: UBC study finds the number of friends you have is important to babies
New UBC research shows that even babies as young as six months old know that having more allies is important in society. “Even if you are not the largest individual in the group you can still be a stronger member of the group when you have more people to back you up,” said author Anthea Pun. Wall Street Journal, News 1130

Yahoo Finance: What China’s ban on ‘bizarre’ architecture says about Canadian buildings
China’s ban on “oversized, xenocentric, weird” architecture was the focus of a new Yahoo article. UBC urban planning professor Patrick Condon says the ban reflects growing discomfort with the isolation of wealthy cities and communities from the rest of the population. Vancouver has its own examples of “weird,” Condon added. Yahoo Finance

Yahoo Finance: Micro housing for students? One Canadian university is trying it
Yahoo Finance highlighted the unveiling of a prototype for 140-square-foot student apartments at UBC. The article noted that similar micro housing is being rolled out across the U.S. and other countries. Yahoo Finance

The Independent UK: Why lesbian teenagers still have sex with men
The Independent highlighted new research out of UBC and City University of New York that shows lesbian teenagers have sex younger, have more partners and engage in riskier sexual practices than their bisexual or heterosexual peers. The findings suggest a need for sexual education to be more comprehensive, according to co-author and UBC researcher Elizabeth Saewyc. Independent UK, The Sun UK, She Knows, Metro News

The Independent UK: Empathising with children ‘can cause health problems for parents’
Researchers at Northwestern University and UBC have found that being empathetic to their child leads parents to suppress their own emotion–leading to higher levels of systemic inflammation. The study followed 247 parent-adolescents relationships over 14 days. Independent UK, MSN

Telegraph UK: First drug to reverse Huntingdon’s disease begins human trials
The first drug that aims to reverse Huntington’s disease is set to start human trials after proving effective in monkeys and mice. The disease damages brain nerve cells and causes uncontrolled movements, loss of mental function and eventually death. The treatment, developed by researchers led by UBC’s Blair Leavitt, silences the gene that produces the protein which causes Huntington’s. Telegraph UK, Tech Times

Wired: Virtuoso experiment reveals the quantum secret to superconductivity
Working with a mega magnet, scientists at the National Laboratory for Intense Magnetic Fields in France have uncovered critical information about superconductivity, reports Wired. The scientists were working with cuprates, the most potent superconductors known. UBC researchers contributed to the research. Wired

Psychology Today: Would more money or more time bring you greater happiness?
A Psychology Today article highlighted UBC research involving nearly 5,000 people, which found that giving priority to having more time over making more money was linked to greater happiness. Psychology Today

CTV News: Financial cost of major weather events rising for Canadian taxpayers
A parliamentary report on the financial costs of major weather events highlights the importance of erecting buildings that can withstand extreme weather, according to CTV News. The article mentioned UBC geography professor Simon Donner, who said there is a need for “proactive spending” to prepare Canada for the impacts of climate change. CTV News

Global News: Canada in 2050: land of climate-change extremes at current emissions levels
If current emissions remain unchecked, Canada in 2050 will be a land of climate-change extremes, according to a Canadian Press article. It will also be warmer and wetter on average. Fish species are already shifting their distributions, says UBC scientist William Cheung, with warm water species appearing in the north and northern species increasingly being pushed out of their range. Global News, Yahoo, The Province, Metro News, Times Colonist

Radio Canada International: Lessons from Norway’s Russia assessment
Michael Byers, Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at UBC, commented on an annual Norwegian intelligence report, which focused on Russia’s actions in the Arctic. According to Byers, the report’s focus on Russia is natural, but Russia is not a military threat to Norway “because in the Arctic Russia has been behaving itself.” Radio Canada

Globe and Mail: Why Canada needs a clear policy on orphan drugs
UBC academics Larry Lynd and Peter Klein reflect on Rare Disease Day, started two leap years ago to increase awareness about diseases that affect very few. In a Globe and Mail op-ed, Lynd and Klein called for Canada to develop strategies to keep the costs of “orphan drugs”–drugs developed specifically for these rare conditions–in check while protecting Canadians’ access to health care. Globe and Mail

Times Higher Education: Who and what gets left out of world university rankings?
UBC educational studies professor Michelle Stack questions the value of university rankings, which she names as a major factor behind dramatic tuition fee increases. Universities should put their focus on being relevant to their communities, instead of chasing after a narrow definition of excellence, says Stack. Times Higher Education

Toronto Sun: Evidence shows charter schools work
UBC Okanagan education professor Lynn Bosetti and a colleague from the Fraser Institute criticised Alberta’s rejection of two applications for new charter schools. In an op-ed for the Toronto Sun, they wrote: “Charter schools are particularly well-equipped and effective at serving the needs of students of disadvantaged populations….they benefit not only those who attend charter schools but also students who do not.” Toronto Sun

CBC Calgary: Public art. Building Calgary’s civic identity, one utility box at a time
Calgary’s public art was the focus of a CBC story. Catherine Soussloff, a professor of art theory and history at UBC, was quoted as saying that the idea of public art playing a role in building community started only in the late 19th century. CBC Calgary

Toronto Star: For normally stoic farmers, the stress of climate change can be too much to bear
Anxiety is growing among farmers dealing with the effects of climate change, according to the Toronto Star. The article mentioned a UBC study, published in January, which found that damage from extreme weather reduced crop production in Canada, the U.S. and Australia by an average of 20 per cent between 1964 and 2007. Toronto Star

Toronto Star: Millennials wealthier than age group has been for 40 years
An internal finance department study shows that the current generation of young Canadians ages 28-34 is around 35 per cent wealthier than their previous counterparts have been for at least 40 years. UBC economist Thomas Lemieux says that the government report relied on data that was based on the average wealth of households, which can include couples. He added that high housing costs, especially in Vancouver and Toronto, means that millennials don’t have as much real income as their parents did. Toronto Star, MSN, Metro News

CBC News: B.C. premier’s office defends Christy Clark’s private flight expenses
Criticism of Christy Clark’s private flight expenses is unlikely to hurt the Premier, UBC political science professor Max Cameron told CBC. “A little more transparency could be in order in Victoria. But the fact of the matter is this is a popular premier, an effective and competent premier,” said Cameron. “Until there’s a kind of credible alternative, what can do any real damage to her politically?” CBC News, Yahoo

CBC News: Immigrants to Kelowna have a hard time fitting in, says UBC Okanagan study
A UBC Okanagan study maps the difficulties immigrants face in Kelowna, reports CBC. UBC social work professor Shirley Chau says immigrants in Kelowna are struggling to find work in the areas they have trained for and to achieve a sense of belonging. CBC News, Yahoo, Global News, Castanet

Vancouver Sun: UBC sees Squamish oceanfront as clean energy education hub
UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre signed a statement of cooperation Friday with the District of Squamish, Squamish Nation and other partners to work towards creating an educational campus focused on clean energy in Squamish. The collaboration showcases B.C.’s leadership in community engagement and clean energy, according to Walter Mérida, director of UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre. Vancouver Sun, Squamish Chief

Vancouver Sun: UBC’s next president needs to have it all
A Vancouver Sun article analyzed the search for a new president at UBC, noting that it’s very important for the new president to succeed to heal divisions on campus and move the university forward. Vancouver Sun, Ottawa Citizen

The Province: Metro Vancouver property prices prompt exodus to B.C.’s countryside
More urbanites are heading north or east to buy hobby farms and acreages in a reaction to high housing costs in Metro Vancouver, reports The Province. UBC Sauder School of Business professor Thomas Davidoff said buyers could be looking for a “dirt cheap” rural lifestyle that leaves them with more money in the bank. The Province, Ottawa Citizen

Metro News: UBC brings attention to challenges of rare diseases
milliondollarmeds.com is a UBC project that puts the focus on the plight of Canadians suffering from one of 7,000 known rare diseases, reports Metro News. Families affected by these diseases face challenges due to the high cost of medicines, according to UBC researcher Larry Lynd and colleagues at the faculty of pharmaceutical science and the UBC school of journalism. Metro News

News 1130: Humans speeding up evolution by causing extinction of ‘younger’ species: UBC
A UBC study has found evidence of reverse speciation around Enos Lake on Vancouver Island. The researchers found that the introduction of crayfish in the lake led to two species of stickleback fish going extinct–leaving a new hybrid in their place. “Mostly in evolution, people study new species arising. This is sort of the inverse, where species can sort of hybrid and collapse in on themselves,” said UBC zoology researcher Seth Rudman. News 1130

News 1130: Young refugees face a tough road in our education system: advocates
Young refugees, particularly late elementary and high school-aged kids, face tough hurdles becoming fluent in English, UBC education professor Jennifer Vadeboncoeur told News 1130. She added that there aren’t enough resources in the education system to smooth their transition, and many end up not graduating. News 1130

Georgia Straight: B.C. government continues to avoid taking specific action to protect LGBT students
A Straight article on the lack of government action to protect B.C.’s LGBT students mentions UBC research, which found that discrimination and suicide rates fell among all students if schools had gay-straight alliances or antihomophobia policies in place. Georgia Straight

The Tyee: In Canada, housing is a right. Right?
Canada has committed on the international scene to respect a right to adequate housing for every Canadian resident, UBC law professor Margot Young told The Tyee. However, Canadian courts have so far resisted appeals by Canadian NGOs to declare housing a clear-cut legal right in Canada, she added. The Tyee

Kelowna Daily Courier: Discover ways to live longer and better
UBC Okanagan is offering 14 free events and weekly talks on healthy aging this March. The events will discuss how to use new communication technologies, hospital stays, public transport, and loss and grief. Kelowna Daily Courier